The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for mounting and removing a pneumatic tire relative to a wheel rim and more particularly to a method and apparatus for mounting the beads of a pneumatic tire within the interior of a wheel rim and for removing the beads therefrom during removal of the tire from the rim.
Through German disclosure DE No. 33 34 203 A1, a device of the above description is generally known which uses a mounting aid for holding the bead after placing part of the bead in a high bed. After holding the bead, the tire is mounted by using a driver roller which engages the bead. The circumferential speed of the roller is greater than that of the roll-off speed of the tire. A mounting method of this type requires two work processes--one of holding and one of mounting the bead on the rim. If in this case the turnable mounting plate is driven, then the holding device and the mounting device in the center of the mounting plate must be turnable. This leads to difficulties when a tire which surrounds the rim loosely is put on for mounting. Specifically, the tire and the rim can get caught on the centrally located, rotatable holding or mounting device. This inevitably leads to an expensive changing of such a mounting devise. In addition, significant forces come into play at the bead area of the vehicular pneumatic tire when using such a mounting method. These forces can lead additionally to damaged beads if the surfaces of the mounting roller are profiled.